Q&A: Does Thorntons Chocolate Franchise in the UK?

Got a sweet tooth, and looking to start your own business? Then why not open a Thorntons franchise! The global household name brand offers an excellent investment opportunity to business-minded chocolate lovers. Keep reading, and find out exactly how to launch a Thorntons franchise of your own in 2022.

The UK is chocolate mad, consuming 660,900 tonnes of the stuff each year [Divine Chocolate]. To jump on board this delicious, fast-moving sweet treats train and make a career change with a dessert franchise, discover the Thorntons Chocolate franchise opportunities available to you below.

Does Thorntons Chocolate franchise in the UK?

If you’re interested in starting your own Thorntons Chocolate franchise, you will be delighted to hear that yes, Thorntons does franchise in the UK. From the Derbyshire chocolate factory HQ, you’ll be welcomed into the Thorntons Chocolate family if you choose to invest. The company’s franchise programme is called “Thorntons In Your Store”, and is currently only an option for UK-based stores. 

We are a full member of the British Franchise Association (BFA) and when you choose [us] that is just the very beginning of our working relationship. [The franchise agreement] helps both you and us, and is there to protect both parties. From day one we want to work with you in order to establish a long standing relationship.
- Thorntons

The history of Thorntons’ chocolate gifts

The chocolate production, sale and delivery experts at Thorntons Chocolate have been in the game since 1911, when Joseph William Thornton opened the first branch in Sheffield. Joseph was a travelling confectioner who left his son, Norman, in control of the shop in Sheffield when he was away. Norman soon proved his success, opening his own second Sheffield location.

Following World War Two, Walter Willen joined the ever-growing business. Walter was one of the best chocolatiers in the entirety of Europe, and it was at this stage that Thorntons’ famous “Continental Collection” was crafted. Now, hundreds of years on from its founding, you’ll find a Thorntons branch in almost every UK high street. There are hundreds of successful locations dotted up and down the country, and yours could be the next. Thorntons could be the ideal dessert franchise investment for you.

Our unique story of five generations of premium British chocolate makers makes Thorntons truly special. The craftsmanship and care that’s put into every single box and every single bite continues to delight our customers now as much as it ever did - and we hope it will for many years to come!
- Thorntons

Start a franchise in the sweets sector with a Thorntons Chocolate business

If your taste for starting a Thorntons franchise is only growing with every new tidbit you learn about the brand, keep reading. Below, you’ll find the three questions you need the answers to in order to confidently go ahead with an investment and start your own Thorntons Chocolate franchise...

1. How do you go about becoming a Thorntons Chocolate franchisee?

You can reach out to Thorntons directly about a potential franchise investment via the company’s website. Note that the brand is looking for existing retailers or people with the required capital looking to set themselves up as retailers, and according to Thorntons Chocolate, the ideal franchisee would be:

• Happy to follow a proven track record and business model
• Ready and willing to work in partnership with a franchisor
• Hard-working and driven
• Passionate about good customer service
• Passionate about the Thorntons brand, products and values
• Entrepreneurial and business-minded

2. How much do you need to invest?

Thorntons is a definitive household name, but you can become a franchisee for an incredible minimum initial investment amount of just £12,500, with franchise fees of £1,000 and a total investment cost of £23,000. This is well below the average cost of a franchise investment as of 2018, which was £42,200 [British Franchise Association].

After two years in business as a Thorntons franchisee, your revenue is expected to sit somewhere between £80,000 to £250,000 per annum, depending on a number of factors such as store size and location. To give you an idea of where Thorntons fits, in terms of cost, on the dessert sector’s spectrum, here are some other industry examples:

• Chock Shop - To become a Chock Shop franchisee, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £10,000, with franchise fees of £15,000 and a total investment cost of £15,000.
• Dunkin’ Donuts - To become a Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £1,200,000, with a total investment cost of £3,000,000. 
• Groovy Moo - To become a Groovy Moo franchisee, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £115,000, with franchise fees of £25,000 and a total investment cost of £115,000.

3. What do you get for your investment?

Thorntons has certainly helped our business, making it a destination store for our customers. It has increased footfall which has in turn increased our card and gift sales. Thorntons provide us with great support, including a structured plan for events and promotions. As an independent retailer, this is invaluable to keeping our business fresh and giving our customers something new to purchase.
- Maxine & Phillip Nield, Thorntons franchisees

Thorntons provides all its franchisees with support from a team of territory managers. This support covers sales optimisation, brand compliance, customer service, initial and ongoing training and seasonal planning. Communication between franchisor and franchisee is regular and open from the location sourcing stage all the way to years down the line, and as a Thorntons investor, you’ll always have the support you need to succeed.

Start a chocolate franchise with Thorntons today

If you’re interested in running your own franchise, then hopefully this article will have confirmed, one way or the other, whether Thorntons would be the perfect investment for you. If you love all things desserts but you want to keep exploring your options, check out Point Franchise’s range of dessert franchise investment opportunities, from Wafflemeister to Crepe Delicious.